There is much to like and even more to commend this sometimes over-ambitious play that, in juggling so many thematic balls, in the process come perilously close to dropping many of them.
Some judicious editing would help keep the pot boiling. A bitter-sweet satire on the soul-sapping ‘Target-Performance’ packaging industry – the clue is in the Amazon logo on the boxes.
(For the purposes of this review that might be wholly coincidental and a complete generic-logo misunderstanding.)
Tamsin is increasing stretched to keep her teenage brother, Dean who has issues on the compulsive-behavioural Spectrum. He persistently gels his hair into Punk spikes. He’s prone to answer any questions at his Work Availability interviews to suit their convenience. Tamsim is driven to despair. Mum, by the way is seriously off-the radar after a history of a neighbourhood purge against the family for Dean being a “pervert”.
Tamsin befriends the easy-going Luke, who often “covers” for her inability to meet “Targets”, not surprising given that she constantly frets over not being able to “phone Dean to check on his wellbeing”. Luke encourages Tamsin to consider Adult Education, she used to be superb at Maths and Physics at school and maybe, just maybe this is her way out.
But with the sweet comes the bitter – and no reveals here. Go and see the show. The dedication and inevitable desperation of those who care for young people with all manner of behavioural syndromes, together with the iniquitous treatment of zero-hours, gig-economy, near ‘slave-labour’ conditions in non-specified industrial packaging/delivery conglomerates speaks for itself without, er hem, being laboured.
Playwright, Katherine Soper has done her research with insight and keen empathy. Her very human characters never solicit sympathy but she convincingly allows her audience to empathise with them. A disarming show deserving it near capacity audiences.
Catch it while you can.
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